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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1989)
Editorial -— Tlailv Amy Edwards, Editor, 472-1766 L/Cllljr Ixc Rood, Editorial Page Editor XT 1% «4 ^ fjr M Jane Hirt, Managing Editor I ^ IT n I O ^ K. O li Brandon Loomis, Associate News Editor X ^ v AML/ MAS. Brjan Svoboda Columnist Editorial Board Bob Nelson, Columnist University of Nebraska-Uncoln Jerry Guenther, Senior Reporter m Alarming statistics between students, faculty grows A recent survey of more than 5,450 faculty members at 306 colleges nationwide has revealed some dis turbing, though not surprising, statistics regarding l how professors view their students. The survey, commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation " for the Advancement of Teaching, reported that many 1 professors are happier with their jobs than in previous \ years. However, it also unveiled upsetting perceptions many professors have toward students: • About three-fourths of full-time faculty members surveyed said they felt students were seriously under * prepared in terms of basic skills. • Two-thirds said there had been a widespread lower ing of academic standards in American higher education. • More than 84 percent said they thought students had become more career-oriented. • Seventy percent said students had become more " grade conscious. • Forty-three percent said they thought students were more willing to cheat to get good grades. Perhaps more disturbing than the statistics, which were reported in this week’s Chronicle of Higher Education, arc their overtones. When professors look out into their classrooms today, what do the see? The survey would have many convinced ' 1 today’s students are nothing but a bunch of ill-focused 1 simpletons who are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure a solid resume and a big paycheck. Ernesteoyer, president of the Carnegie Foundation, said in the Chronicle article that many professors feel students are interested in acquiring knowledge only to help them reach career goals as efficiently as possible. Worse yet, the survey shows “a growing gap between I the faculty culture and the student culture,” Boyer said. What has happened? The relationship between student j and teacher is one of the most important relationships ! from which an individual can grow. When distance between the two widens - and the Carnegie survey is I evidence that it has - communication and true learning are out of reach. Students should come to college because they want ^ higher education - not because college is a nice transition between youth and the real world; not because a college education adds another $10,000 to one’s earning potential, but because education makes the individual. Faculty members across the country arc telling students i they arc seriously concerned about their attitudes. Stu ’ dents should heed that warning and work with their teachers toward the one thing that binds them together — J knowledge. - L« Rood far ike Daily Nebraskan Committee upset by T-shirts The Daily Nebraskan (Oct. 12, 1989) informed readers that the sale of Phi Kappa Psi “jungle fever” T shirts in the student union was offi cially stopped on Wednesday, Oct. 11, because of the offensive nature of the T-shirts. The Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee (EMAC), whose mem bers are faculty and graduate students in the Department of Educational Psychology, was able to purchase a T-shirt on Thursday afternoon (the day after the ban) at the fraternity house. » EMAC was concerned about Phi Kappa Psi’s continued sale of the T shirts outside campus, despite being informed about the “offensive,” “inappropriate” and “insensitive” nature of the T-shirts by Brad Munn, affirmative action officer, and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs James Griesen. Even though Phi Kappa Psi may originally have had “no inten tion of upsetting anyone,” they can not claim such lack of awareness the second time around. In addition, EMAC protests that Phi Kappa Psi cannot afford to neglect practicing human and intercullural sensitivity in our pluralistic American society that reflects cultural diversity and global trends. EMAC recommends the follow ing to Phi Kappa Psi for its inappro priate behavior. Phi Kappa Psi owes a public apology to the university community. They need to actively persuade frs'&nity members and friends not to wear the T-shirts. Finally, they need to request Multi-Cultural Affairs and the Coun seling Center to hold a cultural awareness and sensitivity workshop for the education of their members in improved multicultural altitudes. We hope that Phi Kappa Psi finds our feedback and suggestions helpful. Gargi Roysircar Sodowsky assistant professor chairwoman, Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee Editor’s note: This letter also was signed by two faculty and 12 stu dent EMAC members. | <r~, y*, pro** £ form of Joco/Hetrfaf/ jf| f/utf ffe?e fu*Js t*/// »o+ |j vfef A>r ttty+A/ty ho+ 44* | &/*#&ffercof of i\ m**J*4**/ £*** * +t/t+t % * ---*- ' J""""1 Bui j -■ II III i I — Nebraskans face reality annually Losses teach Cornhusker fans about stoicism at an early age 1 called my Dad Saturday eve ning to get a perspective on the Comhuskcrs’ loss to Colorado. He said ‘‘Nebraska played awful tough” and ‘‘maybe next year” and ‘‘well, it was a fun game to watch.” Then he said, ‘‘Oh well, it’s just a football game.” My dad has said, ‘‘Oh well, it’s just a football game,” a lot over the last 15 years. I guess I called to hear it one more lime. Earlier that day, a couple of fnends and I went to P.O. Pears to watch the game. We bought a pile of fned food and a pitcher of beer and cheered and said stuff like, ‘‘HE WAS CLIPPED, FOR GOD’S SAKE!” In the fourth quarter I was silling - on the edge of my seat mumbling to myself. ‘‘They’re gonna do it this umc, anu men moments later 1 was leaning back and screaming “AW, CRAP'" and then mumbling to my self “it’s over” and then moments later I was screaming “OH YEAH!” and then leaning forward and mum bling to myself ‘ ‘They’re gonna do it this time.” At the end of the game we sal slumped over our chili fries staring at a Sal Aunesc quote CBS had super imposed on a picturesque shot of the late afternoon sky over Boulder, Colo. I guess CBS meant that Auncse. a Colorado player who recently had died of stomach cancer, was in heaven and that heaven was some where in the sky over Boulder, Colo, and that Sal and God and Heaven and Destiny had trnimphcd over the Godless Nebraskans. I’m sure it was very beautiful to the wrong people. Then we said stuff like “oh well’’ and "hum” and loafed out of the bar and wandered aimlessly through the streets jf Lincoln trying to find some one who fell like doing something fun.. Everybody we talked to said stuff like, "I think maybe I’ll just stay, home and watch TV’’ or “I think I’ll just go to bed," so I finally went home around 7 p.m., called my dad, watched TV and went to bed. On Nov. 26, 1976, when I was 9 years old. Nebraska lost to Okla homa. It was a cold gray afternoon in Falls City and for half an hour after the game I laid on my bed crying because nothing seemed important. My dad came up to my room and said, “it’s just a football game.” I mumbled something like “eh pluhch,” crawled slowly off my bed, put on my red and while coal and went for a long walk on the dormant earth. ' 1 / . r At 9 years old I was still saying a prayer before I went to bed. The prayer started with, “Now I lay me down to sleep ...” and ended with “God bless Mom and Dad and Gran and Scott and Carrie . . . and Vince Ferragamo and licorice and Gerald Ford and I.M. Hippand that blackbird I shot in the head with my B.B. gun.” That November night in 1976 was the first night I didn’t say a prayer. I figured that God was dead or didn’t exist or had started taking my prayers for granted so I laid in the dark and frowned at the ceiling and mumbled over and over, “You’re not getlin’ a word from me, Okie.” The next morning I was forced to go to Sunday school. My teacher, Mrs. Harroun, acted like everything was wonderful. She told us Bible stories. I ignored them. I drew pic tures of Soviet Migs bombing Falls City. The First United Methodist Church was destroyed. It was a dark day. Just this Sunday I went to Woody Allen’s new movie “Crime and Mis demeanors.’’ The main character, a deeply secular and successful man, has a woman killed to save his career and marriage. After the crime, the man is faced with a resurgence of morality from his religious child hood. He becomes tormented by the idea that God is always watching. In the end of the movie, the guy doesn’t get caught, doesn’t confess and doesn’t seem too bothered by the killing. Worst of all, Woody Al len doesn’t get the girl. It was a very real movie. It was a tough movie to watch after the Colorado game. I thought about calling my Dad so he could say, “Oh well, it’s just a movie.” I didn’t. I faced the crisis myself. I went for a long walk on the dormant earth. I faced the abyss once again. No big deal. But you know the old saying: “Whatdocsn’lkill you makes you stronger.” Ana i truly Dcnevc tnai proven? and I truly believe that Cornhusker lovin’ Nebraskans arc the strongest living creatures on this earth. Since I was five years old, Tom Osborne has been leading great foot ball teams to within inches of the national championship. Every year, we get a heartbreaking loss. What better way to toughen up the wide eyed children of this state. What better way to tell a kid, “Hey, ya little brat, you’re not the center of the universe and there ain’t no happy ending. You’re just a little creature on a cold, flat, gray. Godless and desolate plain. Yeah, ‘boo hoo’ my ass. Shut up and get over it.” Every year in November, Nebras kans must face their own mortality on an uncaring earth.Nebraska fans and Woody Allen live in the real world of empty skies and sad endings. And Coloradoans arc just twisted little dreamers living with pretty little mountains and lovely little inspired victories. We’re the mighty Stoics of ihe desolate Great Plains. They’re the sniveling little Alices of Wonder land. Sure, my Dad is right. The defeat in Boulder was just a game. But hell, sq is everything else. Well... at least until next Novem ber. Nelson Isa senior news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan columnist. editoria^--- - Signed staff editorials represent the official pplicy of the fall 1989 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its members are Amy Edwards, editor; Lee Rood, editorial page editor; Jane Hirt, managing editor; Brandon Loomis, associate news editor; Bob Nelson, columnist; Jerry Guenther, senior reporter; Brian Svoboda, col umnist. Editorials do not necessarily re flect the views of the university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents. The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers are the regents, who established the UNL Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the re gents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its student editors.